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Michele Babcock-Nice

I enjoy blogging about many different issues, including those of local, regional, and national interest, as well as personal experiences, family ancestry, education, religion, politics, and social justice matters. My local area is Atlanta, Georgia, United States.

View of total solar eclipse through the rain clouds at Camp Rainey Mountain, Clayton, Georgia, August 21, 2017

On Monday, August 21, 2017, my son and I traveled to Clayton, Georgia to Boy Scout Camp Rainey Mountain to participate in their special event, held to witness the total solar eclipse! We met up with other boy scouts from my son’s troop, and enjoyed viewing the eclipse with about 1,000 people who were there for the event.

It was an absolutely wonderful and amazing experience to be in a zone of totality to view the eclipse, even if rain clouds came through during the last 20 minutes before totality.

My son and other boy scouts looking at the eclipse, Camp Rainey Mountain, Clayton, Georgia, August 21, 2017

Thankfully, we did get to see totality for a few seconds when there was a part in the rain clouds, during totality. The halo around the sun appeared to be lavender in color, through the clouds. It was really neat!

My son and I viewing the solar eclipse, Camp Rainey Mountain, Clayton, Georgia, August 21, 2017

And, when we experienced totality, the sky became really dark, like it was night time. Of course, the rain clouds had already caused it to become dark, though the total eclipse made it significantly dark.

Though we were on the road, driving, for a total of 8.75 hours, plus stopping to eat dinner for 45 minutes, it was well, well worth it to take the day and see the total solar eclipse!

People in the dark during totality of the solar eclipse, Camp Rainey Mountain, Clayton, Georgia, August 21, 2017

I saw a partial solar eclipse when I was younger, but this was like no eclipse I’ve ever seen before. Again, it was really amazing to see totality and was well-worth the trip. I would do it again if I could, and am so happy that we had the opportunity to go and enjoy seeing the solar eclipse in totality!

My son and I at the 2017 National Jamboree, Summit Bechtel Reserve, West Virginia, July 24, 2017

For more than the past week, my son and his Boy Scout Troop 3127 with the Northeast Georgia Boy Scout Council have been at the 2017 National Jamboree! There are 33 scouts in his troop, and 3 scout leaders. My son is a member of the second council contingent troop for our council; there is another troop with approximately the same number of people attending Jamboree, as well.

My son at the Summit Bechtel Reserve – 2017 National Jamboree, July 24, 2017

This is a once in a lifetime opportunity to experience people from around the country, including many international scouters from around the world, who have come to the National Jamboree!

My son with his base camp in the background. 2017 National Jamboree; July 24, 2017

I had the pleasure of visiting my son at the 2017 National Jamboree, held at the Summit Bechtel Reserve in West Virginia, near Beckley this week.

My son at the West Virginia State Police exhibit, 2017 National Jamboree, July 25, 2017

While I had to leave early on Monday due to President Trump’s visit and speech at the National Jamboree, I visited all day on Tuesday.

My son standing in line, awaiting his turn at the U.S. Army simulator, 2017 National Jamboree, July 25, 2017

It was a wonderful experience to visit my son at the 2017 National Jamboree, and walk around (lots of walking!) the area, enjoying various exhibits, meeting people, and trading patches.

My son at the U.S. Navy simulation area, 2017 National Jamboree, July 25, 2017

I especially appreciate the presence of the West Virginia State Police and Fayetteville Sheriffs in and around the 2017 National Jamboree. It was great to observe the many police and sheriffs stationed around the area, for everyone’s safety and protection.

My son with Regis, the bald eagle, and his handler. 2017 National Jamboree; July 25, 2017

On Monday, my son heard President Trump’s speech, after lining up to enter the speech/arena area with his troop at around 1:00 PM. It was an all-afternoon wait to hear Trump talk – and while his speech was controversial for some, he did have many good things to say to the scouts.

My son talking with an Eagle Scout Association representative. 2017 National Jamboree; July 25, 2017

On Tuesday, my son and I spent most of the day on Freedom Trail where the military and police exhibits are located. My son really enjoyed participating in the U.S. Army and U.S. Navy simulation experiences. He also received patches from military personnel, there, as well.

My son talking with a scout representative at the Commissioner’s Tent. 2017 National Jamboree; July 25, 2017

While there was much walking, it was pleasant to talk with many fellow scouters at the 2017 National Jamboree!

My son with Venturers from the Grand Teton Council. 2017 National Jamboree; July 25, 2017

We spoke with many kind folks at different areas, including the National Eagle Scout Association Tent (where we also saw Regis the bald eagle); William T. Hornaday Award Tent; Commissioner’s Tent; and others.

My son with a scout representative at the William T. Hornaday Award Tent. 2017 National Jamboree; July 25, 2017

My son also earned a merit badge in mining – right there in coal mining country! And, he earned a religious award, a scouting award, and attended both a worship service and a mass on Sunday. He has also spent time enjoying the Sustainability Tree House.

My son at the Sustainability Tree House. 2017 National Jamboree; July 25, 2017

Yesterday, my son participated with his troop on a hiking trek up Garden Ground Mountain. Last Friday, his troop completed a Day of Service by painting three picnic pavilions at a local park. He has been keeping busy!

My son with members of his troop, painting a picnic pavilion, for their Day of Service. 2017 National Jamboree; July 21, 2017

There is so much to do and see, and so little time at the 2017 National Jamboree. I’m happy for the opportunity that my son and I have had to be at there! I had a great time!

What a beautiful day it was, today, for dozens of scouts around the Atlanta-area to be recognized and receive the religious awards that they earned in 2015. The Archdiocese of Atlanta Catholic Committee on Scouting, Archbishop Wilton Gregory, and many others were in attendance today, celebrating the accomplishments of area Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, Venturers, and American Heritage Girls for their accomplishments in broadening their understanding of their faith by having completed different types of scouting-related Catholic religious emblems programs.

A mass and celebratory reception were held at St. Monica’s Church in Duluth today to recognize the scouts, with Archbishop Gregory giving an inspiring homily about the Prodigal Son. Gregory stated that all fathers should be like the one who forgave the Prodigal Son, welcoming back into the family after being lost and then found again.

As co-coordinator of my son’s religious program for his troop, I am very proud to celebrate with him in earning the Ad Altare Dei religious award in scouting. This is the third religious award he has earned, thus far, as a scout. He has previously earned the Light of Christ medal and Parvuli Dei award.

My son invested 30 hours into the Ad Altare Dei scouting religious program. Included in the program was religious instruction and study, religious community service, attendance at sacramental events such as weddings, participating in a retreat or religious day of reflection, attending masses and confessions, interviewing a priest or other religious, and receiving communion.

All of the scouts receiving Catholic religious awards, today, worked very hard and invested much time and effort into their accomplishments. It was wonderful to be there in support of these wonderful endeavors that serve to strengthen faith and spirituality in our youth.

Me at American Association of Suicidology Conference, Atlanta, Georgia, April 16, 2015

This is my second year as a member of the American Association of Suicidology. Earlier this Spring, I happened to peruse the association’s website and discovered that the annual conference was to be held in Atlanta, only a short distance from my home! How could I pass up an opportunity to attend the conference? It would have been unthinkable not to go. So, this week, I invested the equivalent of two days throughout a three-day period into hearing presentations, attending workshops, meeting colleagues, and getting photographs.

Me with Dr. David Miller, President, American Association of Suicidology, Conference in Atlanta, Georgia, April 17, 2015

The conference was very affordable at $150, plus receiving a free student seat to a half-day preconference workshop on Tuesday, presented by Dr. Jim Mazza and Dr. Alec Miller. I wasn’t required to fly or drive in over a long distance (although driving in the downpouring rain wasn’t very pleasant on Wednesday morning), I didn’t have to shell out big bucks for a hotel stay, and I didn’t have to pay alot of money for food. I parked at a self-serve parking lot on Spring Street, just one block away from the Hyatt Regency in Atlanta, paying $4 per day for each of the three days.

Yesterday, I enjoyed eating lunch at the buffet of a nearby Chinese restaurant, paying only $8.50, including tip for my meal. One thing I did miss out on today, however, was the $10 student lunch voucher. I arrived too late, and there were none left, so I had to go without. The wonderful bagels for breakfast, however, certainly made up for the lost lunch opportunity.

I’m still extremely happy to have enjoyed the free student seat at Wednesday’s workshop, as well as to have met a huge presence in the field of counseling and psychotherapy, Dr. Marsha Linehan, the creator of Dialectical Behavior Therapy! I snapped a couple of pictures of Dr. Linehan, but missed out on my chance to be photographed with her when a kind lady was unable to navigate my camera – and Dr. Linehan was in a hurry. To hear her presentation about her personal background and how it relates to her creation of DBT is incredibly inspiring!

Autographed Program Booklet, Name Tag, Book Bag, American Association of Suicidology Conference, Atlanta, Georgia, April 17, 2015

While I did not do much networking, there were folks who I met and spoke with, making the experience more personal and enjoyable. One particular colleague with whom I networked on each of the three days I was at the conference was Stephen. Additionally, all of the staff and volunteers of the association were extremely helpful and friendly, particularly Justin, Sarah, John, and Pollyanna.

There was so much that I learned, and I’m so happy to have had the chance to attend this year’s 48th annual conference. I hope that I will be a more effective, compassionate, and professional support to those who have been affected in some way by suicidality, as a result of attending this conference.

If I was a gambler, I would bet that no one ever thinks she or he would lose financial stability and become impoverished in our great land of opportunity. I mean, 65 years ago, my mother’s family immigrated to the United States from Poland and Germany because this is the land flowing with “milk and honey.” After all, the streets in the United States are supposed to be “paved with gold,” right? I guess it all depends on who you talk to.

Sure, my immigrant grandparents obtained work and opportunities in America, but they worked and slaved hard to achieve it. Sometimes, they worked up to three jobs at a time to pay for a home, food, and clothing for their four children. Though they worked hard, they were still poor. There was no money for sending any of the kids to college. But, that was also a time when people could make a decent living by having only a high school diploma. Today, the expectation is that one must have at least a college degree.

My dad has also always been a hard worker. Beginning as a little kid, he would sell soda pop at the weekly community bingo games. Then, he would collect the empty bottles back and return them for deposit compensation. He was also a newspaper delivery boy, and then he pumped gas to fill customer’s vehicles at the gas station. My grandfather worked, but my grandmother did not; and my grandfather died when my dad was 17. There was no money for college. I doubt it was even considered. Even so, my dad became a dedicated employee of the State of New York for 37 years.

As a girl, growing up, I had all the expectations about life that many girls probably do. When I grew up, I was going to have the million dollar family, the home in the suburbs with the white picket fence, a great career, and everything was going to be rosy. We would live happily ever after – or so I thought.

The real fact of the matter is that a few things have been rosy, but most things have been a great struggle. I never imagined that from my upper middle class background that I would be at below poverty level status. I have experienced the feminization of poverty in America. Considering everything, however, I think that I’ve done really well. I have avoided poverty as much as possible, but it is still with me. Poverty has been my lover for the past 7 years now. I don’t love him, but he can’t seem to get enough of me.

No matter what I’ve tried, no matter how I’ve tried to help myself for the past 7 years, I’ve been unable to escape the specter of poverty. I don’t drink, I don’t smoke, I’ve never used drugs, I am intelligent and hard-working, and I am one of the kindest people you will ever meet in your life. I have also learned to be extremely careful with what I have, in both possessions and finances. I am also not one to complain…because I know there are always those out there who are in a worse position than me.

Perhaps these are reasons that no one ever would suspect my true financial status. In fact, when I attempt to broach the subject with people, nearly everyone always brushes it off. They don’t take it seriously. I mean, how many impoverished people look as good as I do? How many care for and support their family as well as I do? One charity volunteer who interviewed me a couple of years ago honestly stated to me, “You don’t look poor.” I don’t look poor. And, I am not poor – I am impoverished.

Throughout these past years, I have tried to do what I can to help myself and my family. I have tried to avoid poverty. I have tried to be as frugal as possible. I don’t have healthcare, nor do I have the money for it. I have been unemployed out of my main career field for the past six years. I have gone back to school, twice, in an effort to jump start my career and get back on my feet. Either those efforts did not work or there were unforeseen setbacks that occurred. I can already foresee student loan payments in the near future that I will likely be unable to make, thus destroying what little progress I’ve managed to make recently.

There are so many other things that I could say and identify that have happened, but there are some things that are just better left private. I do not want the situation to get worse by divulging too much. After all, I’ve learned in life that when you’re down, most people are there to ignore you and/or kick you around. Those who are encouraging and supportive are truly few and far between.

Life is truly about the survival of the fittest. In our competitive United States, I think cooperation. Where I think kindness, too many others think selfishness. And, people who have never experienced poverty simply cannot and do not understand it, nor can relate to it. When you try to explain it to them, they have no clue about it. For someone such as myself, I do not look for sympathy, but understanding, support, and opportunities for empowerment. If people are unable to relate, then there is no chance for any of that to occur at all.

So, while I have done and continue to do what I can for the best of myself and my family in trying to avoid Poverty, it seems to have gotten the better of me again. Just when you think you cannot cinch your belt any tighter, it becomes even more constricting. So, I have thought that, perhaps, I am doing it all wrong. Maybe I should not try to avoid or run from Poverty, maybe I should just embrace him. But, then again, I cannot do that, or Poverty will have won. Remember, Poverty loves me, but I do not love him. He might think that he has won, but he has not. I will be okay; I will be a Poverty survivor.

It is St. Valentine’s Day, a day for love and romance, especially as reflected in our culture and history. Valentine’s Day is a day that is important for couples, though it is also important for everyone. On Valentine’s Day, everyone can show a little more love, respect, appreciation, and understanding toward each other.

I’ve already heard the national news today of a plot to kill people in a mall in Canada that was thwarted. Later today, I heard about a cartoonist in Denmark who was killed – an artist who apparently depicted Mohammed in a negative manner. There are also likely so many more countless tragedies, hate crimes, and killings that have occurred around the world.

Today – as every day – however, should be a day for spreading love, kindness, compassion, and understanding. Do not be the person who is ugly toward or who hurts others. Take the opportunity to do an act of kindness for another.

For those who are unable or unwilling to practice loving kindness and understanding, my heart and prayers go out to you. I understand that, sometimes, life experiences may make it more difficult to love, but it should not be an excuse to avoid doing so.

On this day of all days, we must open our hearts and practice loving kindness and forgiveness. Of course, that does not mean that we should fall victim to being hurt for doing so, however setting a good, positive example may be all a person needs for his or her spirit to be uplifted, even for one day.

How will you practice love, kindness, and understanding toward others today?